10 things you need to know today: February 25, 2020

1. Stocks plunge as coronavirus cases surge outside China

U.S. stocks plummeted on Monday as coronavirus cases surged outside of China, fueling concerns of a pandemic that could cause enduring damage to the global economy. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed down by 1,032 points, or 3.6 percent, the index's sharpest drop in two years. The S&P 500 fell by 3.4 percent, and the Nasdaq lost 3.7 percent. Supply chains around the world have been disrupted due to factory closures and transportation bans in China. "The second-largest economy in the world is completely shut down. People aren't totally pricing that in," said Larry Benedict, CEO of The Opportunistic Trader. "It seems like there's much more to come." Airlines were hit particularly hard, as was Apple, which has iPhone suppliers in China. U.S. stock futures inched up early Tuesday.

CNBC

2. Jury finds Harvey Weinstein guilty of rape, sexual assault

A jury on Monday found film producer Harvey Weinstein guilty on charges of third-degree rape and sexual assault, but acquitted him of the higher-level crimes of first-degree rape and predatory sexual assault. Six women, including The Sopranos actress Annabella Sciorra, testified that Weinstein sexually assaulted them. The charges in the trial related to allegations by two of the women. Former TV production assistant Miriam Haley said Weinstein forced oral sex on her in 2006, and former aspiring actress Jessica Mann said he raped her in a Manhattan hotel in 2013. The trial marked a high-profile test in the #MeToo era's efforts to hold powerful men accountable for sexual harassment and assault in the workplace.

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The New York Times

3. White House requests funds for escalated coronavirus response

The Trump administration on Monday asked Congress for $1.25 billion in emergency funding to boost the U.S. response to the coronavirus outbreak. The White House also asked for up to another $1.25 billion to be diverted from other programs. The request came after pleading from some lawmakers for an escalated public health effort as the flu-like virus started spreading more rapidly outside China. The Office of Management and Budget told lawmakers the money would cover emergency medical supplies, lab testing, work on vaccines and monitoring, and other expenses. Also on Monday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned Americans against traveling to South Korea, which saw a surge of infections giving it the most cases outside China.

The New York Times USA Today

4. Supreme Court to consider rights case over same-sex foster parents

The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to consider Catholic Social Services' challenge of a Philadelphia anti-discrimination ordinance that bars placement of children in foster care with the agency due to its refusal to let same-sex couples serve as foster parents. The agency, part of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, accuses the city of violating its First Amendment rights of freedom of speech and religion. A lower court ruled that the Catholic Church's religious views did not entitle it to an exemption from city policies. A ruling in favor of the agency and against Philadelphia could make it easier for people to get religious exemptions from other laws. The case will be argued in the court term that starts in October.

The Wall Street Journal Reuters

5. Sanders unveils child-care plan as rivals slam comments on Fidel Castro

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on Monday rolled out his free universal child-care plan after solidifying his position as the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination with his win in Saturday's Nevada caucuses. Sanders said as president he would "guarantee every child in America free full-day, full-week, high-quality child care from infancy through age three," and full-week pre-kindergarten education starting at age 3. The program will cost $1.5 trillion over the next 10 years, paid for by Sanders' tax on the "extreme wealth" of the top 0.1 percent of households. Meanwhile, rivals criticized Sanders for saying it was "unfair" to say Cuba's Communist revolution was all bad. Mike Bloomberg tweeted that Fidel Castro left "a dark legacy" of repression, "But sure, Bernie, let's talk about his literacy program."

Bloomberg The New York Times

6. Court upholds Trump rule against abortion referrals

A U.S. appeals court on Monday upheld Trump administration rules barring abortion referrals for low-income women served by the Title X federal family planning program. Lower courts in Washington, Oregon, and California had ruled against the ban, which opponents referred to as a "gag rule." Abortion is legal but federal laws prohibit paying for the procedure with Title X or other taxpayer funds. Abortion rights supporters have long argued that counseling a patient about abortion or making a referral doesn't violate the ban. Abortion opponents have said abortion referrals under Title X amount to indirect subsidies for abortion providers. The American Medical Association said the 7-4 ruling was "government overreach" that prohibits doctors and patients from having open discussions.

The Associated Press

7. 7 killed in New Delhi clashes over citizenship law ahead of Trump arrival

At least seven people were killed and 50 injured Monday in India's capital, New Delhi, in clashes over a new citizenship law many consider anti-Muslim, police announced Tuesday. The law, approved in December, provides citizenship to religious minorities from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh, with the exception of Muslims. Activists say supporters of the nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party incited violence. Video circulated showing a mob of people beating a Muslim man. The clashes came as President Trump was welcomed to India by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad, a day before Trump's arrival in New Delhi. During a rally in Ahmedabad, Trump praised India as a country where different faiths "worship side by side in harmony."

The Associated Press

8. Kobe Bryant's widow sues company that operated helicopter that crashed

Kobe Bryant's widow Vanessa Bryant filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the company that operated the helicopter he, one of the couple's daughters, Gianna, and seven others were flying in when it crashed in heavy fog last month in Southern California. Everybody on board was killed. The lawsuit said the tragedy was "a direct result of the negligent conduct" of the pilot, Ara Zobayan, and the company's "breach of its duty and negligence." The lawsuit was filed as mourners gathered at Staples Center on Monday for a memorial service honoring Kobe and Gianna Bryant and the other victims.

Los Angeles Times

9. Trump's 'public charge' immigration rule takes effect

The Trump administration on Monday started its tough new rule giving immigration officials more power to deny green cards and certain visas to applicants they deem likely to wind up qualifying for public benefits. The "public charge" test could block hundreds of thousands of people from entering the United States and has been called the most ambitious unilateral move to change the U.S. immigration system in recent years. Federal judges blocked the rule from taking effect for about four months, as opponents challenged it, but the Supreme Court's conservative majority ruled in January that the rule could go into effect, without explaining its reasoning.

CBS News Vox

10. NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson dies at 101

Mathematician Katherine Johnson, whose work as one of NASA's human "computers" was profiled in the film Hidden Figures, died on Monday, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine announced. She was 101. Johnson calculated the flight paths of the U.S. space program's first space program, and the first landing on the moon. "The NASA family will never forget Katherine Johnson's courage and the milestones we could not have reached without her," Bridenstine tweeted. "Her story and her grace continue to inspire the world." Johnson graduated from high school when she was 14, and became a teacher after finishing college with degrees in math and French. In 1953, she went to work at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, which later became NASA.

NPR